Rare pink African elephant caught on camera in South Africa

Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A visitor to a South African wilderness area captured rare footage of an albino baby elephant with unusual pink skin.

The video, recorded Monday at Kruger National Park, shows the pink elephant playing in the water with other members of its herd.

The filmer said albino African elephant sightings are extremely rare, with only 3 or 4 being previously recorded in photographs. They wrote albino elephants can be difficult to spot due to keeping their skin caked in mud and dirt to protect them from the sun's rays.

The baby seen Monday is the first albino African elephant to be caught on video, the filmer said.

"It's important to note, right through the video, that there was no lack in attention, love or care for the little pink one from the other adults," the filmer wrote. "It was never treated in any other different way or manner. After a 22 month gestation period, elephant babies are a huge investment to a herd, no matter what they look like."